Sports Surplus

As you periodically will, it’s time to hear from the other voice to which Marc’s blog refers. It’s a voice representative of small-market Kansas City, and while it might often represent the frustration that is Kansas City sports, it nonetheless represents true sports passion:

I’m from Kansas City, and since Marc’s main passions in life seem to be: 1.) Major League Baseball, and 1a.) hating Jason Whitlock, you wouldn’t expect us to see eye to eye. After all, in addition to Kansas City being the home of Major League Baseball’s worst team, the Royals, it is also home of the aforementioned Whitlock. Luckily, I can respond to these subjects by introducing two “passions” that might embody Kansas City in a slightly better light:

1.) Kansas City Chiefs: It is that time of year. It’s mid-August, the kids are going back to school, the temperature is about 103 degrees, and the Royals are about to lose their 80^th game. Chiefs fans have hope this year, as they do every year, and as always, it feels pretty damn good.

On Defense the Chiefs signed Ty Law (by Jason Whitlock’s demand!). They drafted Tamba Hali who will start as a rookie. And, on the D-line with Hali is Jared Allen, who Dick Vermeil (Dick who?) described as having a unique, unbelievable “motor”. Finally, expect linebacker Derrick Johnson to be in Honolulu in February.

On Offense, most people expect a drop-off from the NFL’s #1 2005 offense. Those people are right. Willie Roaf has retired. Fullback Tony Richardson is in Minnesota (where he’s the only player on that offense I’ve ever heard of.) Al Saunders’ high-powered offense is now in the nation’s capitol. Most of all, Chiefs fans will not be accustomed to Herm Edwards' “ball control” where the idea is to win games 17-10, instead of 45-44.

2.) Joe Posnanski, sports-writer, Kansas City Star. Fortunately, it’s not just Whitlock whose (rather large) face appears on the Kansas City Star’s sports section. In this time where I can’t watch a second of ESPN without seeing a mediocre, big-market sports columnist (Woody Page, Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith, Dan LeBetard), Posnanski is the best national sports columnist that I bet you’ve never heard of, from the city that, unfortunately, nobody seems to care about. So, while we apologize to fans like Marc who can’t stand the sight of Whitlock, you’ll thank us once you read a column by Poz. He somehow always seems to give Royals fans hope. And when there is no hope, as is often the case, he adds humor to an otherwise embarrassing situation.

Thus, as you can see, there are some reasons to be optimistic about the sports scene in Kansas City. And if not, well then that’s okay, because I’m living in Chicago, the nation’s #1 sports city.

# posted by Marc A. Katz @ 5:59 PM